Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 22:39     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Princeton and Hopkins are reaches

UMD and UVA are targets

I don’t know what to do with all those private schools in Pennsylvania, but I wouldn’t ED to any of them because it means giving up instate at UMD
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 22:31     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
OP again!

Here is the new list

Bucknell
Catholic University
Delaware
Drexel
GMU
GWU
Johns Hopkins
Lafayette
Lehigh
Penn State - Harrisburg
Princeton
Rowan
TCNJ
Temple
UDC
UMD
UVA
Villanova
VCU

Does anyone want to help me divide them into Reach, Match, Safety?

Kid will likely end up with 3.95 - 4.0 UW at a school that doesn't weight. Max Rigor for his school. Top 5% at a school that doesn't rank. A bunch of AP's that are mostly or all 5's, and an ACT of 35 or 36.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 22:22     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid, with strong stats and EC's, is hoping to study engineering within about 2.5 hours of home (Rockville). He'd specifically like a school that has has a variety of engineering disciplines, and that allows students to transfer between disciplines. He'll need somewhere that's either in state (Maryland), meets full need, or gives good merit.

Can you help us think of schools to explore that we might be missing, and to rank these schools that we've found as Reach/Match/Safety? If you know anything specifically about a school that might help us, we'd appreciate it.

Here are the schools we know about.

Catholic University
Delaware
Drexel
GMU
GWU
Johns Hopkins
Princeton
Rowan
TCNJ
Temple
UMD
UVA
Villanova
VCU


Naval Academy?


You're right. It does meet the criteria, but he's got a medical issue that would prevent it.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 20:47     Subject: Re:Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Agree with considering ODU.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 20:37     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
I would put UDC at the very bottom of almost any list. Any of the others mentioned would be better.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 20:26     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
WVU would be a good safety, especially for civil. Maybe look at distance to Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette also.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 20:19     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Anonymous wrote:My kid, with strong stats and EC's, is hoping to study engineering within about 2.5 hours of home (Rockville). He'd specifically like a school that has has a variety of engineering disciplines, and that allows students to transfer between disciplines. He'll need somewhere that's either in state (Maryland), meets full need, or gives good merit.

Can you help us think of schools to explore that we might be missing, and to rank these schools that we've found as Reach/Match/Safety? If you know anything specifically about a school that might help us, we'd appreciate it.

Here are the schools we know about.

Catholic University
Delaware
Drexel
GMU
GWU
Johns Hopkins
Princeton
Rowan
TCNJ
Temple
UMD
UVA
Villanova
VCU


Naval Academy?
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 20:14     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
With high stats he might be awarded the Stamps scholarship at Elizabethtown.
https://www.etown.edu/schools/school-of-engineering-and-computer-science/engineering/index.aspx
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 19:16     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think TCNJ has engineering? But if you are willing to go to NJ, I think Rutgers has engineering. And Stevens is a very good smaller engineering program (probably beyond your range, but not by much).


We made the list by scouring the ABET website. All of these schools have accredited programs in multiple engineering disciplines including Civil.

We set our cut off at 3 hours. If the google maps directions from our house was 2 hours and 59 minutes or below we included it. I agree that those would be good fits otherwise.


Just a thought but maybe look to see what the distance is by train rather than just car drive. If the issue is the ability to get home quickly, train might be more effective than driving anyway.


If the train is an option and you’re looking in NJ, definitely consider Rutgers and Stevens. Both locations are easily accessible by train and under 3 hours to Baltimore. Even the drive isn’t much more; I can make Stevens in 4ish hours from NOVA, Rutgers is closer.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 17:43     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Are they taking a car to college? If not how do they get home in 2.5 hours or 3 hours? If whatever reason they need this affects mind or body, could they drive safely? Or are they getting a car service? If someone comes to get them that doubles the time.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 16:03     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think TCNJ has engineering? But if you are willing to go to NJ, I think Rutgers has engineering. And Stevens is a very good smaller engineering program (probably beyond your range, but not by much).


We made the list by scouring the ABET website. All of these schools have accredited programs in multiple engineering disciplines including Civil.

We set our cut off at 3 hours. If the google maps directions from our house was 2 hours and 59 minutes or below we included it. I agree that those would be good fits otherwise.


Just a thought but maybe look to see what the distance is by train rather than just car drive. If the issue is the ability to get home quickly, train might be more effective than driving anyway.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 13:42     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Loyola MD
York College of PA
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 13:39     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think TCNJ has engineering? But if you are willing to go to NJ, I think Rutgers has engineering. And Stevens is a very good smaller engineering program (probably beyond your range, but not by much).


Replying to myself. Apologies. Didn't know that TCNJ has engineering but it does. My bad. TCNJ is a great school not on many radars. Not comparable to Ivies, etc. but a good school.
\\

Why are you disguising your DC’s gender? “It” “she” “he”—- no one can identify you from your vague posts about an undisclosed private school. So silly.


Where have I used "she"? My kid is a boy.

And why are you quoting a different poster, if you meant to address this to me, the OP?
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 13:37     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
Anonymous wrote:Penn State Harrisburg and UDC also both have civil engineering programs.


Thank you! I missed Harrisburg!

I didn't put UDC on the list since I know what category it's in. Now that I write that I realize that's ridiculous because I also know what category Princeton's in. UDC should be on the list.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 13:36     Subject: Reach/Target/Likely list for an engineering student who wants to stay close to home
I would add Lehigh and Syracuse to the list. Both have engineering